The radio and television stations of the National University of Colombia are run by Unidad de Medios de Comunicación (Unimedios), an academic institution. UN Radio started operations in 1991 and can be listened to in the capital city Bogotá and in Medellín. UN Televisión is a television broadcaster that airs only online. Its programming consists of national and international news as well as debates and analytical reports run by academics.
Media assets
Television: UN Televisión
Radio: UN Radio
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded (ISF)
Ownership and governance
The National University of Colombia, which runs UN Radio and UN Televisión, enjoys autonomy from the government. Article 69 of the Colombian constitution states that “university autonomy is guaranteed. Universities may adopt their own directives and be governed by their own statutes, in accordance with the law.”
Source of funding and budget
The funding of UN Radio and UN Televisión comes from the public university that runs the broadcasters and from various sponsoring organizations such as the Ministry of Culture. The broadcasters are not allowed to carry advertising.
Editorial independence
The government does not intervene in the content of the university broadcasters due to the autonomy that guarantees their editorial independence. The UN broadcasters run programs that are critical of the government.
The station has a style manual and a code of ethics that guide the work of the stations and guarantee the right of audiences to information.
No mechanism that would validate the editorial independence of UN Radio and UN Televisión has been identified.
August 2023